Little Talks About Love
by Kat-of-the-Streets
Summary: As the title says, little talks about love. Told in conversations only. Main focus on Robert/Cora right now, might expand later.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I like to write conversations (big surprise, hahah) and this is another story that will consist only of conversations.

I don't know how long this story will be yet, but the first 13 (?) chapters are more or less one story arch, but I am planning on writing stand-alone conversations or shorter story arches as well, we'll see. As the title says, all these conversations are about love in some way.

The first chapter is similar to (but not the same as) the first chapter of my story _Anniversaries_, so this is not plagiarism, I allowed myself to steal it :). It will be different from then on. I am posting Chapters 1 and 2 now.

Most of the conversations are rather short and it never says who is talking but you should be able to get it from the conversation. If it isn't obvious, it isn't important who is talking.

As I said somewhere else, I am going on vacation (yeah!), so might not be able to update regularly in the next few days.

Thank you all for your support and reviews and favorites and views! You rock!

Kat

* * *

"What did the lawyer want?"

"He told me about our financial situation."

"And?"

"We are broke. If we don't find a substantial amount of money soon, we'll have to move out of this house."

"Oh dear god. What have you done?"

"I married you."

"What?"

"You hardly brought any money to this marriage. My father warned me. He said to me 'love her all you like, you will regret it once the estate is without money'. To be honest, we should probably count our lucky stars that this situation hasn't come up any earlier."

"Do you regret marrying me then?"

"No. I could never do that, I love you too much."

"What are we supposed to do now?"

"There is a very easy solution. Robert has to marry someone rich. Very rich."

"So you are asking our son to do what you didn't do yourself."

"This is different."

"Why?"

"Because he isn't in love with anyone. I fell in love with you when we were 16. There was no way I could have been content, let alone happy with anyone else."

"Let's hope Robert falls in love with the right person very soon then."

"Violet, there is no time to fall in love for him. He has to marry at the end of the season."

"Patrick, no."

"Yes. It is the only way."

"He is 19."

"We were married at 19."

"You said yourself that was different. We were in love. We still are. But Robert"

"It breaks my heart as much as yours. But he is the future Earl of Grantham and he has to do his duty."


	2. Chapter 2

"Mother, Lord Downton has proposed to me."

"And I suppose you accepted him."

"Of course I did."

"You are in love with him."

"Yes."

"You know that he doesn't love you."

"Yes."

"You will be hurt. Very much."

"Maybe. But I'd rather be stuck in a marriage to a man I love, who doesn't love be back, than be stuck in a marriage completely without love."

"At least he is nice. He will let you come to America from time to time."

"Yes, he will. He is a very sweet."

"Cora, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Maybe not. But I don't care. I love him. And maybe he will love me too, eventually."


	3. Chapter 3

"You proposed to that American?"

"Yes. And she accepted me."

"How could you Robert."

"Of all the women out there who suit our needs, she was the one I disliked the least."

"But you do dislike her."

"I don't know. I certainly don't love her, but as Papa put it so eloquently, we cannot afford to wait until I am in love. So I'll just marry without it. If we don't get along, she can go back to America once she has produced an heir. Although I doubt that she'd do that. She strikes me as the type of woman who'd care about her children. But we'd have something in common then, because I will care about my children too."


	4. Chapter 4

"Have you heard that the son of the Earl of Grantham has gotten engaged?"

"No."

"It is quite the scandal. He is about to marry an American. An American heiress with a lot of money."

"Well, I've heard rumors that they needed money. And fast. That must be the reason."

"And he couldn't have found an English woman with a large enough dowry?"

"Who knows. It certainly is a peculiar marriage."

"One that certainly won't be happy."

"Don't be too sure about that. I heard that she is supposed to be both beautiful and kind."

"His mother certainly won't be nice to her, which will not be helpful. They won't be happy, mark my words."


	5. Chapter 5

"Lord Downton is engaged."

"To whom?"

"I don't know. Some American with rather a lot of money."

"So we know why. Although so far he hasn't struck me as someone who'd get married for money only."

"Hasn't he? You've tried to get him to notice you for months now and he hasn't even so much as looked at you. He knows you have no money, how could he not have paid you any attention otherwise?"

"I don't know. But he is rather sweet."

"Well, he won't ever be sweet to you. He won't ever be sweet to anyone because his marriage is certainly not a love match."

"Probably not."


	6. Chapter 6

"How was the wedding journey?"

"Awful."

"Why? Do you dislike your wife so much?"

"No. I don't dislike her at all."  
"Then why was it awful?"

"Because she told me she loves me."

"That doesn't seem to make you happy."

"I don't love her, Papa. And I know I never will. She is nice enough, I grant you, and she is easy to talk to but that is it."

"I thought you found her beautiful."

"That too. But that isn't enough either."

"I'm sorry I forced you into this."

"I'll live. As soon as we've produced an heir, I can take my distance from her."


	7. Chapter 7

"So we failed again."

"Yes."

"I wonder if we are doing anything wrong."

"What is there to do wrong about this?"

"I don't know. My sister once told me it was supposed to be enjoyable. Do you enjoy it?"

"Not particularly."

"Me neither."

"But you always finish."

"You are a very beautiful woman."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant as a compliment. It always is."

"You'll stop coming to my room as soon as we have done our duty, won't you?"

"To be honest, I think so. Yes."

"Will you have a mistress?"

"No. That would be unkind."

"Well, thank you for that."


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I am so sorry for the double post, again. Somehow FF doesn't seem to like my updates. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and favorites. Let me know what you think!

Kat

* * *

"You are such a fool, little brother."

"Why?"

"How can you have told her to not go to her room anymore once you had produced an heir?"

"How do you know that?"

"Because she told me. She had to talk to someone about it and I am the closest thing to a friend she's got."

"Neither one of us particularly likes that part of our marriage."

"True. And it is entirely your fault."

"What? Rosamund, what has Cora told you?"

"Nothing, really. But you see, the problem is that you don't see what's in front of you. Because 'doing your marital duty' as you apparently like to call it, can be quite a lot of fun, if you do it with someone you love."

"Rosamund, I do not want to hear anything about Marmaduke and you."

"And I won't tell you anything about it besides this: I am married to a man I love very much, a man who loves me too. And it has never been a duty to either one of us."

"Well, that is because you love him and he loves you."

"Cora loves you."

"That makes it even worse."

"No, Rob, that makes it perfect. Because you love her too."

"No I don't."

"You are too stubborn for your own good."


	9. Chapter 9

"I met Lady Grantham yesterday and she isn't happy."

"Why ever not?

"That American daughter-in-law she has to thank her son and husband for proves rather unsuitable for her role. And that girl still isn't pregnant."

"Poor Violet. I always said that that marriage was not a good idea."

"She certainly agrees with you. How could that have happened? An American, I ask you."

"No wonder it isn't going well. It won't take long and Lord Downton will cause a scandal by having a mistress."

"No, we won't have to wait long for that. The papers will be full of it."


	10. Chapter 10

"Happy birthday Robert."

"Thank you."

"Your present. I hope you like it."

"It looks like my grandfather's watch. I didn't think they made watches like that anymore."  
"They don't."

"Then how?"

"It is your grandfather's watch."

"But they told me it couldn't be repaired. I took it to every clock maker in London."

"I know. You told me. And when you did I made inquiries. And I found a clock maker who said that he might be able to fix it."

"Where did you find him? Not in London I presume."

"No, not in London."

"Don't tell me there is clock maker nearby who would have been able to fix this long ago."

"No. Although I asked everywhere."

"So where did you find the clock maker?"

"In New York."

"What? How is that possible?"

"When you told me about the watch and what was wrong with it, I sent a letter to my brother and asked him to ask around in New York. And he did find someone. So I sent the watch to New York and the clock maker really was able to fix it."

"Cora, that must have taken months. When did you start to plan this?"

"Four months ago."

"Why would you do something like that for me?"

"Because I love you. And I want to make you happy."

"You have made me very happy. Never has anyone given me such a thoughtful gift before. Thank you so much."

"You are welcome."


	11. Chapter 11

"That was … different."

"Yes."

"You are crying."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? I mean, why are you crying?"

"Because. I don't want to talk about it Robert."

"I had hoped that you enjoyed this."

"I did. But I know that you will go back to your own room in a few minutes. Because that is what you always do."

"Would you like me to stay here?"  
"You know that."

"I'll stay."

"I love you."

"Cora"

"I know. But I can't help it."


	12. Chapter 12

"How is it going with Cora?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? You are married to her."

"Papa, why didn't you tell me what a difficult business marriage was?"

"Because it has never been difficult for me."

"Really? You and Mama fight all the time."

"No, we don't. We are both rather opinionated and we both like to make our opinions known. So we have a lot to talk about."

"And that isn't, I don't know, emotionally exhausting."

"No. I enjoy it quite a lot. It's why I fell in love with your mother. She was the first woman I ever met who openly disagreed with me. And I thought 'she's the one' as soon as she did that for the first time."

"I wish Cora and I had something to talk about."

"I thought you'd said she was easy to talk to."

"On a small talk level."

"And that isn't enough for you."

"No. Imagine you and Mama only ever talked about meaningless things like the weather."

"I thought you didn't care about your wife."

"I never said that. I said that I didn't love her. But I'd prefer to have something to talk about. The problem is, we have nothing in common."

"You don't?"

"Obviously not. I grew up here, heir apparent to an Earldom; she grew up in America, with parents who made millions while she was young. She moved up from middle class to upper class during her childhood and teenage years. What is there to talk about?"

"Just ask her about America and growing up there. I'm sure she'd tell you about it. Maybe you would move past small talk then."

"Hopefully."

"Robert, again I am very sorry you had to marry for money and not love. But that doesn't mean that love won't come for you. I've known Cora for quite some time now and I think that you two are a very good match. Just think about that watch. That alone should endear her to you."

"It does, but it doesn't make me love her."

"You are too stubborn for your own good and you've got that from your mother."


	13. Chapter 13

"I met Robert Crawley yesterday."

"How is he? I haven't seen him since the wedding."

"He didn't seem too unhappy. He had his wife with him. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders, besides being beautiful of course. Apparently they are visiting his sister."

"So, does he love her?"

"His sister? I think they are close."

"His wife, you fool. Because he certainly didn't love her when they got married."

"I am not sure. He looked rather besotted. We've known Robert since he was 13, I don't think I've ever seen him like that. He looks more like a little school boy now, than he did, when we first came to Eaton."

"He deserves to be happy. He is one of the very few honest men I have ever met."

"True. Let's hope that American proves worthy of him."

"I think chances are quite good. Both for that and for Robert actually being happily married."


	14. Chapter 14

"Cora"

"Yes?"

"Come in here. And don't look like a child about to be told off for stealing the biscuits. I only want to talk to you."

"I don't know why we haven't produced an heir yet."

"That is not what this is about. I wanted to know if you were happy."

"Of course I am, Lady Grantham."

"Please stop calling me that. I have told you to call me Mama. I may not be happy about this marriage, but you are my daughter-in-law. That also means that you shouldn't lie to me. And that is what you've just done. Because you aren't happy. Why is that? Have you finally realized that this is all too much for you?"

"No. It's a personal matter and I don't want to talk about it."

"So it's about Robert. You are still in love with him then."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I've known my son all his life Cora. I sometimes know more about him that he knows about himself. He likes you, I am sure of it. He doesn't regret marrying you, if that is what you are afraid of."

"That is all very well. But it doesn't mean he loves me."

"Don't be defeatist, my dear, it is very middle class."

* * *

AN: Last line is of course stolen from 2x8.


	15. Chapter 15

"Robert. What are you doing here?"

"This is our private sitting room. I can be here whenever I want to."

"Of course you can. I was just surprised because you usually prefer to spend the time between tea and the dressing gong with your parents."

"It's not what I prefer, it's what they want me to do."

"Then why aren't you playing the dutiful son today?"

"My mother gave me a lecture and I just couldn't stand it anymore."

"What was the lecture on?"

"Marital harmony and happiness. She said you were unhappy and that it was my job to make you happy. But you are happy, aren't you?"

"I am not unhappy. But why does your mother care? She doesn't like me."

"She cares because in her own words 'people like us are never unhappily married'. What she means is that an unhappy marriage could lead to a scandal. And that has to be avoided at all costs. And I am so sick of it. I am so sick of 'playing the dutiful son' as you say."

"Then stop."

"How?"

"I don't know. Stop spending time with them between tea and the dressing gong."

"What am I supposed to do instead?"

"Spend some time with me."

"With you?"

"I am your wife. It wouldn't hurt if you spend more time with me."

"Are you going to give me a lecture on marital happiness and harmony as well? Because if you are, I will leave."

"I won't lecture you. I just said that I think that it might be good for us if we spent more time together. Just us I mean."

"What would you like to do?"

"Talk."

"All right. Tell me about growing up in America."


	16. Chapter 16

"You told Robert that it was his job to make Cora happy. You did that."

"Yes, Patrick."

"You don't like Cora."

"No, I don't. But I still think that Robert could be content with her. Surely not happy, but content."

"Violet, just like me, you know that he could be very happy with her if he finally admitted to himself how much she means to him."

"I am not sure how much she means to him. But we can't have her unhappy. Imagine the scandal. First he marries an American and then that marriage goes down the drain before the heir has been born."

"Violet, do you ever think about anything else?"

"Sometimes. But you remember how long it took us to finally have an heir. And we didn't get married out of convenience. Robert married Cora for her money, but they still need an heir, no matter how little they might like..."

"It is not for a lack of trying that it hasn't happened yet."

"How do you know?"

"Rosamund assured me of that."

"Rosamund? What does she have to do with it?"  
"I don't really know, but I think she and Cora are closer than we might think."

"So that American has charmed both our children now."

"You admit that she has charmed Robert then."

"Patrick"

"Yes dear?"

"I, I don't know."

"You are lost for words. I have to write that down. You are never lost for words."

"Hardly ever. I was when you told me you loved me for the first time."

"Yes. I thought you were never going to say it back."

"You know how difficult that is for me."  
"I do. And it doesn't matter."

"But you know I do."

"Of course. I knew then and I know now. And it makes me very happy because I love you too."

"Good."


	17. Chapter 17

"So, you have finally come to your senses."

"What do you mean?"

"Mama told me that you prefer spending time with your wife over spending time with her."

"Who wouldn't?"

"Mama is angry about that."

"I bet she is. But I don't care. I've been the dutiful son to our parents for long enough, I did what they wanted me to do, I want my freedom now."

"You mean you married whom they wanted you to marry?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't. Mama didn't approve, she still doesn't."

"Mama can disapprove all she likes. Even if I didn't marry whom she wanted me to marry, I did marry what she wanted me to marry and that was a lot of money. Papa and she could have condemned me to a live of miserable unhappiness."

"But you aren't miserably unhappy."

"I was lucky, I suppose. I can live with Cora; I know I can spend the rest of my life with her without being miserable about it."

"How romantic."

"Rosamund, not everybody can be as free as you and marry for love."

"No. And you certainly didn't marry for love. Although, had you opened your eyes, had you not assessed women by the size of their dowry or inheritance, but by who they are, had you waited until you'd fallen in love, you'd still have married Cora."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am. And so are you."


	18. Chapter 18

"My little brother has finally come to his senses, I think."

"So he has finally realized that he loves his wife."

"I think so."

"Your brother is weird and a little slow when it comes to matters of the heart."

"Careful darling, he is my baby brother. I can insult him all I like, you are not allowed to do that."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you don't really understand. You don't have siblings after all."

"No. But I wish I had. I've got no one I actually can insult."

"If you don't have a younger brother you will never understand how you can love someone who has gone on your nerves all his life."

"He hasn't gone on your nerves all his life."

"No. Not when he was a very small baby. He was cute then. According to Cora he still is, but I don't see it."


	19. Chapter 19

Enjoy!

* * *

"Robert, why are all your books in my room?"

"Those aren't all my books. Those are the ones I am reading at the moment."

"How you can read five books at the same time is beyond me."

"You are married to a very talented man."

"I am afraid so. So, you very talented husband of mine, why are all your books in here?"

"Because I put them there."

"You know Robert, I had almost figured that out by myself. The question that remains to be answered is why you did that."

"Because I realized something."

"What did you realize?"

"That I sleep a lot better in this room than in my room. So I've decided to sleep in here every night."

"Robert we can't every night. Sometimes I am tired or you know, have lady problems."

"I know. And that is not what I mean. I just want to sleep here. We can do other things too, of course. But I sleep much better with you next to me."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Why? I thought my moving around woke you up all the time."

"It does. But when I sleep by myself I wake up because you are not moving around next to me. And then I miss you."

"You miss me. In the middle of the night."

"Yes. Cora, I miss you whenever you aren't with me. During the day and even more so during the night. And I've been feeling like that ever since you gave that watch to me for my birthday. Maybe I even felt that way before, I don't really know. But I've finally realized why I feel that way."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."


	20. Chapter 20

AN: From here on on, the talks won't be chronological any more, although if there is a story arch that spans over several chapters, they will of course be posted chronologically.

This is a conversation between Harold and Robert and let's supposes that they are both a little drunk.

Let me know what you think.

Kat

* * *

"Thank you for your help."

"Do you really think my being here made a difference?"

"Yes. You are an English Earl. The committee was impressed"

"If you say so."

"You must have a very strong sense of family obligation, to come all this way just to help a brother-in-law out of a fix."

"Well, I didn't do it for you."

"My mother can be quite persuasive."

"I didn't do it for her either. She put me in an impossible situation but I really only came here because Cora asked me to help you."

"I suppose you don't mind being away from her for a few weeks, though."

"I absolutely detest it."

"What? You've been married to her for more than thirty years."

"I am fully aware of that."

"And you don't want to get away from her."

"No. Why would I?"

"I don't know. I can never stand having the same woman around me for more than a few weeks. It gets boring."

"What gets boring?"

"There is nothing to talk about after a few days."

"Cora and I have had something to talk about for the last 33 years. And we will always have something to talk about."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What about the other thing?"  
"I am afraid I don't know what you mean."

"You know, bedroom activities."

"We are talking about your sister."

"Well, she can't be the only one."

"The only one what?"

"The only woman you take to bed."

"She is. Of course she is."

"Robert, I won't tell her. I know that you have somehow managed to make her believe that you are faithful to her, but you don't have to pretend. I am a man too."

"I don't pretend to do or be anything. And I don't make her believe anything. She is the only one. The only one there ever was, the only one there'll ever be."

"How poetic."

"It may be poetic and it certainly is true."

"But you must be bored out of your mind. If it has been the same for more than thirty years."

"Again, we are talking about your sister."

"Be that as it may, I can't believe you can be satisfied with that. Don't you want to try something else? Something new?"

"Disregarding the fact that I find it extremely uncomfortable to speak about such things in general, but especially to you of all people, no I do not what something else or new, all I want is her."

"So, you are telling me that in over thirty years, you have never slept with another woman?"

"Yes. Would you mind changing the topic?."

"How odd. You know, you could have scores of women over here. Really young ones too. Being an Earl, speaking with an English accent, always acting so dignified."

"Do you want me to be unfaithful to your sister?"

"Would she mind if you were?"

"Of course she would. It would break her heart and I don't think it could ever be mended again. But that is hypothetical because I won't do it. I don't want to take another woman into my bed."

"So you've never desired someone else?"

"Once. A few months after the war. Cora and I went through a very rough time then. But we got through it, thank God."

"But you didn't act on your desire?"

"No. I kissed that other woman but it was the biggest mistake of my life, a mistake that thankfully Cora was able to forgive. But it was just a few kisses, nothing more and I know that Cora struggled with it but she said that she could forgive me for that, because she blamed herself in parts and she wasn't wrong about that, strictly speaking. But it didn't give me the right to do something so abominable."

"You sound as if you still felt bad about a few kisses."

"I still do feel bad about it. But, as Cora says, it's in the past and there is no use brooding over it, although I find that rather hard to accomplish sometimes, especially when I am away from her."

"I always thought Cora sugar coated her marriage in her letters to make us all believe that it wasn't a mistake to marry into the English aristocracy, but I think that you actually like her."

"Like her? I don't like her. I love her with all my heart."

"I always thought you married her for the money."

"That, I am afraid to say, is true. But my feelings for her changed very early on and we've been very happy ever since then. There were a few rough patches here and there, especially after the war and right after Sybil's death, but love prevailed, so to speak."

"How can you be sure that she loves you too?"

"Well, she keeps telling me but there are many other ways she shows this too. She smiles whenever she sees me, she obviously trusts me with everything."

"And you are sure it isn't an act."

"Of course I am."

"So she doesn't have someone else either?"

"No, she doesn't."

"How can you be sure?"

"I just am. Why would she have someone else?"

"So you trust her too."

"With everything. Blindly."

"You English men are weird. Trusting a woman blindly."

"Again, we are talking about your sister."

"That does not matter. She is a woman."

"I've noticed."

"I should think so, after not having looked at another woman for longer than thirty years. I can't believe it."

"Harold, you know what? You are an insufferable cad. You get yourself involved into this ungodly scandal, you expect me to rescue you, I do come over here and according to you, that did rescue you and I tell you that I did it for your sister and all you do is keep telling me that you cannot believe that I actually love her. I've been wondering this whole conversation why you couldn't just accept that and be happy for us or at least for her, but I think I know why. Because you are so caught up in making as much money as you can, regardless of the legality of it, that you don't realize that there is more to life than that. And when you do not think about business, you think about women but only in a way to satisfy your own needs. You have never once considered what you do to those women that you seek out because you want something new, because you are afraid of getting bored. Have you ever considered how many hearts you might have broken and hopes you might have destroyed? Even if you say that those women only join you on your yacht because they want a diamond bracelet, that doesn't mean that they all told you the truth. You are so caught up in yourself that you never consider the feelings and needs of others and most of all you are so caught up by 'enjoying life' as you put it that you have never really loved anyone. Don't tell me that you love your mother and sister. You only tolerate your mother because she lets you live with her and that saves you money you can spend on even more yachts and even more diamond bracelets for even more women. And you don't care about Cora. The last time you saw her was when we were over here in 1911 and you only saw her for two days and only because we didn't bring the girls. All the other times that we were here after 1890 you fled because you didn't want to be around our children. You haven't visited her once in over thirty years. You write to her about twice a year, if that. You didn't even write to her after Sybil's death and you know why you didn't? Because you couldn't fathom what she, what we went through because you have never really loved anyone. Not your mother or sister and certainly not another woman. Don't think I don't know why you took me to all those dingy clubs during my stay here. You were looking for the next catch and you thought that so was I and it doesn't even bother you that I am married to your sister. And if you keep looking for the next catch you will never experience what love is, you will never find out what it is like to fall asleep and wake up next to the same woman every single day, you will never find out what intimacy really means because it is so much more than what you think it is. You will never know what it is like when your heart skips a beat when you see the woman you love unexpectedly, to have someone to support you in your darkest hours, or what it is like to miss someone so much that it hurts. I miss Cora so much that it hurts quite a lot and I will act accordingly. You have gotten what you wanted, you are out of trouble, I have done what Cora asked me to do, so I will go home tomorrow to be with her again. I am bored out of my mind here, but I am certainly not when I am with her. I could never be bored with her because I love her."

"That was quite a speech."

"Yes. I'll go to bed now, I want to leave early tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	21. Chapter 21

"Thank you again, Robert, for rescuing my sometimes good-for-nothing son."

"You are welcome, although I doubt that I really did make a difference."

"I think you did. You were rather impressive when you talked to the senate committee."

"Although I really couldn't tell them anything."

"Maybe not. But it impressed them that Harold has such a brother-in-law. Someone who is so self- assured. There was no doubt for them that you were telling the truth. Harold is very thankful, too."

"I know."

"He told me that you two had a falling out last night."

"We didn't have a falling out. All I did was tell him that I thought that he was a cad. And I only did that because he kept telling me that he couldn't believe that Cora and I, well it doesn't matter."

"You did it for her, didn't you? You came all this way over here, not because I asked you to rescue my son but because she asked you to rescue her brother."

"Does it make a difference?"

"Yes, it does."

"I came here; I did what you wanted me to do. Why does it matter whether I did it because you asked me or because Cora asked me? "

"Because it puts your motives into a different light. Had you done it because I asked you to, it would have shown a sense of family obligation."

"I do have strong sense of that. The wayward daughter of a cousin of mine has been living with us for a year because her parents asked us to take her in because they had to go to India. That isn't exactly a 'piece of cake', as Cora would say."

"You did what she asked you to do because you love her. Don't deny it, Robert."

"Of course that is why I did it."

"So you do love her?"

"Why is that so hard to believe for Harold and you? Of course I love her, I've loved her for more than three decades now and I am sure that she has mentioned me in her letters from time to time. And you've seen us a lot oftener than Harold did, you should know how I feel about her, how we feel about each other."

"When she accepted your proposal I told her that I thought that it was a mistake because you only wanted her for her money. I know you told my husband that you wanted to make her happy and we both believed you because you were already decent and dignified when you were 19 and we were sure that you wouldn't hurt or mistreat her, but when I saw her walk down that aisle, I thought that we had sold our daughter to a loveless marriage only because my husband wanted his grandson to be titled."

"I know that you worry about her. I worry about our girls quite a lot and Cora does too. But it was never just for the money. I can't say that I loved her when we got married, but I certainly liked her. And many of the things I said and did afterwards I only said and did because I didn't recognize my confused feelings for what they were."

"Anyway, I am glad you are making her so blissfully happy."

"Am I?"

"That is what she says."

"Good. Listen, I want to surprise her and the girls. Don't tell them that I basically am on my way home now."

"A mystery."

"I wouldn't call it that."

"Regardless of that Robert, safe travels. And we will see you in May or June."

"Yes."

"Goodbye Robert."

"Goodbye."


	22. Chapter 22

"How is she? Really?"

"Who?"

"Cora. My daughter. Your daughter-in-law."

"Look at her. What do you think how she is? This coming out ball for Rose is her doing. She seems rather satisfied with it. And she still looks at Robert as if she thought he turned the sun on and off every day."

"She certainly loves him. But that is not what I mean. How is she, concerning Sybil and Matthew?"

"Why are you asking me? Ask her."

"She'll say 'Mother, I am fine. I've got to go.'"

"And you think she says more than that to me?"

"I don't know if she says more than that to you but you see her almost every day."

"She is fine. She still misses both Sybil and Matthew but so do we all. But she has made it through that dark time relatively unscathed."

"I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a child."

"It was horrible for both of them."

"Both of them?"

"Do you think that Robert didn't suffer? It broke his heart just as much as Cora's."

"Really."

"Of course. What do you take him for? A heartless monster?"

"No. But he is, you know, English."

"Which doesn't mean that he can't love. He loved both Sybil and Matthew just as much as Cora did. Though understandably Sybil's death hit both of them harder. It almost broke them apart."

"It did?"

"Don't you know anything about your daughter?"

"Well, you seem to know quite a lot about her."

"As you said, I see her almost every day and she wears her heart on her sleeve."

"How did it almost break them apart?"

"They didn't know how to deal with their grief, Cora more so than Robert. She blamed him for things he wasn't to blame for. But there is no use in talking about it."

"Violet, I want to know."

"Then ask Cora."

"She won't tell me. She didn't mention it in her letters once. I noticed that she hardly mentioned Robert in the first two or three letters after Sybil's death, but she never said that there was something wrong between them."

"Then she doesn't want you to know."

"So you must tell me."

"Do you honestly think that I would break hers and Robert's confidences, especially for something that was so painful for them and that you look at as a piece of gossip?"

"Violet, I know you think that I don't love my daughter, but that is not true."

"You paid for a title with her and her inheritance."

"Let's not talk about that."

"Oh, that you don't want to talk about. But you want to talk about something Cora obviously doesn't want you to know."

"I worry about her. You are not the only person in this world who cares about her. I know you think that you love her more than I do, no, don't deny it, you do love her, and maybe you really do love her more than I do, because she certainly is closer to you than she is to me, but that is my own fault. But I do love her and I do worry."

"There is no reason to worry. She is doing well, honestly. And so is Mary now, thankfully."

"It must have been horrible for Mary."

"It was. But I am not going to break Mary's confidences either. She is better now, almost back to normal, that is all you need to know."

"Thank you for being there for them when I can't. Cora and the girls I mean."


	23. Chapter 23

"Cora, are you alright?"

"Yes, just a stomach bug."

"A stomach bug you have had for over a week now."  
"Really?"

"Yes. And you've been complaining about dizziness for just as long."

"Well, that's the stomach bug too. Seeing as I can't keep any food down, it is no wonder that I am always dizzy."

"Cora, I highly doubt that you have a stomach bug."

"What else could it be?"

"Think, darling."

"Robert, if you think you know what makes me throw up like this, then please tell me."

"Not what. Who."

"Robert, I still don't get along with your mother, but I am certainly not"

"No. That is not what I mean. Or rather who I mean."

"Then who do you mean?"

"Our baby."

"We don't have a. Oh. You really think so?"

"I've been thinking so for the past week. The symptoms fit, don't they? And you haven't complained about cramps for a lot longer than four weeks."

"Oh dear. That would be, what would that be?"

"Exciting? Thrilling? Wonderful?"

"You really think so?"

"We've been hoping for this for one and a half years."

"I know. But are we really ready for this?"  
"Cora, of course we are ready for this."

"It would be nice to have a baby. That would be the cherry on top of the icing."

"Don't say that to my mother."

"Why not?"

"It's too American."

"Robert, I know our children will have to be raised according to the rules of the English aristocracy, but I want to be able to take care of them myself. I know we will need a nanny and later on a governess, but I want to be there for them."

"So do I."

"I want them to be happy."

"They will be Cora. The will grow up in a loving family. With parents who are happily married and in love."

"Yes."

"You should see a doctor, just to be sure."

"I don't want the doctor to examine me here. Your mother will become suspicious and I am not ready to share the news yet."

"Let's go to him then. I'll come with you."

"You hate going to the doctor."

"But I love you."

"I love you too."


	24. Chapter 24

"So they have a girl."

"Yes. Isn't she lovely?"

"Hmpf."

"Violet."

"They still haven't done their duty."

"Darling you know just as well as I do that it is entirely a matter of chance whether a baby turns out to be a boy or a girl."

"But their duty."

"Our granddaughter is not a child made out of duty, she is a child made out of love. And I'd much rather have only granddaughters and Robert happily married than a string of heirs and Robert unhappily married."

"What about the succession?"

"What about it? James has a son, the succession has been taken care of. It would be nice if Robert had a son too, but it wouldn't really matter if he didn't."

"How can you say that?"

"How can I not say it? It would rather hypocritical if I was disappointed by Robert not having produced an heir yet. And I told you countless times that it wouldn't matter to me if we never had a son."

"That was different."

"Why?"

"I was a lady of society, I brought more to this family than money and the hope of an heir."

"Violet, you did not bring any money into this family and you were just as unsuitable a match for me as Cora was for Robert, some might even say that you were even more unsuitable. Your family is older than Cora's, but by American standards Cora's family isn't that young and they belong to the first circles of society there."

"Me? Unsuitable?"

"In terms of what 'the ton' thinks, yes, absolutely. In terms of how I felt, still fell, absolutely not."


	25. Chapter 25

"You are very good with her."

"Thank you, darling."

"Are you truly not disappointed, Robert?"

"How could I be disappointed by such a lovely daughter?"

"I don't know Robert, you need an heir."

"It would be nice if I had one, but it is not what is most important. It is far more important to me that the child is healthy. And just look at her. How could she not capture my heart?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"What will your parents say?"

"That Mary is the sweetest girl they have ever seen, except for maybe Rosamund."

"Rosamund isn't sweet. She is, I don't know what she is. A hurricane maybe?"

"Careful, darling, she is my sister. I can insult her all I like, you are not allowed to do that."

"I know. I have a brother, you know, although you may insult him."

"Thank you for that."

"Did your parents really think that Rosamund was sweet?"  
"Yes. Cora, I think you still don't really know my parents. They love us very much. And my mother may claim that she only ever saw us for an hour after tea, but that is not true. She woke us every day until I was ten and we were brought to bed by both our parents until then as well. We spent almost as much time with them as we spent with the nannies and governesses we had. They started to let us have dinner with them when there weren't any guests so early that I don't even remember when, we almost always had lunch with them as well and they really cared about us, even when we were small. Rosamund and I grew up with loving parents, even if it may not seem like it to you."

"Well, you both are lovely people, you more so than Rosamund, that must come from somewhere."

"Yes."

"I'll be nicer to your mother, I promise."

"Thank you darling."

"Robert, let's make sure that our children will grow up with loving parents as well."

"Do you doubt that they will?"

"No, not really. But we mustn't get too comfortable with what we have."

"I promise that I will always fight for your love."

"Thank you. I think I have to feed Mary now."

"Would you mind if I stayed?"

"No, I would love it if you did."


End file.
